Workshop Description: Improving mental health outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) requires translating research into effective, person-centered community practice. Matt Wappett, PhD, Luke Reynard, PhD, and Melanie Hecker, MPA, will bring together research, practice, and lived experience to explore how evidence can strengthen community-based mental health services.
Dr. Wappett will highlight the role of UCEDDs in advancing research and evidence-informed approaches. Dr. Reynard will explore how research can be translated into best-practice approaches within community service systems. Melanie Hecker will bring her expertise and lived experience to the discussion, offering an essential perspective on what effective, responsive services look like for the people and communities they are intended to support.
Together, the presenters will demonstrate how research, practice, and lived experience can inform one another to strengthen services and improve outcomes for people with IDD.
Recording:
Speakers:
Luke Reynard, PhD, Executive Director, NFI North
Luke Reynard is the Executive Director of NFI North, a nonprofit human services organization providing mental health, disability, educational, and community-based services throughout New Hampshire and Maine. He has more than 20 years of experience in mental health and disability services, with a career spanning direct service, program development, organizational leadership, and systems-level work.
Dr. Reynard holds a PhD in Leadership and Organizational Development, an MBA, and a BA in Psychology. His professional interests center on strengthening community-based systems of care, developing effective and sustainable service models, and creating organizations where both employees and the people they serve can thrive.
In addition to his leadership at NFI North, Dr. Reynard serves as adjunct staff with the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability, where he works with the National Center for START Services as a Business and Operations Consultant. He also serves as Treasurer of the Child and Family Provider Network and as Board Chair of the National Research Consortium on Mental Health in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, which supports research aimed at improving services and outcomes for people with IDD and mental health needs.
Matthew Wappett, PhD, Executive Director, USU Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice
Matthew Wappett is the executive director of the Utah State University Institute for Disability Research, Policy, & Practice, with an affiliate appointment as a research associate professor in the USU College of Education and Human Services. He is also the Editor in Chief of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal. Dr. Wappett has worked with the UCEDD system for over 25 years, and has a demonstrated commitment to supporting real-world programs that make real-world impacts on the lives of people with disabilities. He is committed to creating inclusive environments that foster a sense of purpose and belonging.
Dr. Wappett earned his doctorate degree in Special Education, an Master of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Utah. Dr. Wappett has also participated in Clinical Training for Mind Body Medicine through the Harvard Medical School. He completed his public-school teaching certification while pursuing his Master’s degree at the University of Utah. He is a former whitewater guide and Swiftwater Rescue Technician and has run most of the major wilderness rivers in the Western U.S. and Alaska.
